Spring-board for diving



D. E. JOHNSON AND O. E. PARMELEE.

SPRING BOARD FOR DIVING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. 1919.

.1 347 5 1 O Patented July 27, 1920.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DORRE. JOHNSON, or TOLEDO, OHIO, AND OLIN' E. PARMELEE, or LAMBERTVILLE,

MICHIGAN.

SPRING-BOARD FOR DIVING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1920.

Application filed August 13, 1919. Serial No. 317,143.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Donn JOHNSON and Dr. OLIN E. PARMELEE, citizens of the United States of America, and residing, respectively, at Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio, and Lambertville, Monroe county, Mich, have invented new and useful Spring- Boards for Diving, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to board apparatus.

This invention has utility when incorporated in diving spring boards.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in a submersible, collapsible diving apparatus spring board;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the apparatus collapsed;

Fig. 3 is a detail of the pair of boards portable spring comprising the spring board and clip struc- V ture;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 5 shows the clamped mounting of the boards to the main bearing of the apparatus, parts being broken away. I

As a central main bearing for the apparatus there is provided a bolt 1 having in termediately thereon a tubular member or pipe 2 over which may be a pair of U-bolts 3 going through upper board 4 and lower spring board 5 to clamp the pair of boards together. On the bolt 1 outside the pipe or tube 2 is an inner pair of legs 6 and therebeyond outer pair of legs 7. This outer or after pair of legs 7 may move as a unit and be so held by braces S and a lower footing of channel form comprising members 9, 10. Extending forwardly from the main bearing 1 is a second pair of spread legs 6 operable as a unit as is the unit of the spread legs 7. The spread legs 6 have therebetween braces 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; the braces 14, 15, coacting as a footing as do the braces 9, 10, of the spread legs 7 to level up the apparatus very readily and prevent its sinking into sand or softer soil.

The longer forwardly extending pair of legs 6 carry on the brace 12, hinges 16 for mounting swingably, upwardly extending members 17 as a supplementary support, there being a brace 18 therebetween medially of the upward extent. Each of these members 17 adjacent the hinge 16 has a V-notch 19 embracing crosspiece or bar 12 when the apparatus is in set up position. These said members 17 of the supplementary support have in the upper extremity notches 19 and bolt 20 to clamp the spacer 21 between said struts-17, (Figs. 3', 4.)

In setting up the apparatus, the rear or shorter legs 7 may have but slight inclination while the forwardly extending legs 6 may have the desired inclination to place the bearing 1 at such height as may be acceptable in the depth of water and for clearance of theboard as to the water. The position of the main hearing or pivot 1 is thus fixed. The supplementary support or structure on the forwardly extending legs 6 is then swung upward to bring the portion or brace 21'between the upper springboard 4 and the lower spring board 5 which as clamped together by U-bolts 3 at the bearing bolt 1 as a main pivot bearing comprise a clip, the lower spring board 5 being snapped away from the upper board 4 as the brace 21 passes over the cleat 22 to seat between the cleats 22 and 23. From this intermediate position of support by the supplementary support or strut members 17 the upper main spring board 4 extends to have a free terminus forwardly and over the pair of spreading legs 6. This upper spring board 4 may be thin stock say of 1 in. x 12 in. Georgia pine and as herein shown there is provided a light cleat 24 as a reinforcement for the forward end on the under side thereof, while on the upper side, to prevent slipping by a diver having wet feet, a pad 25 of rubber or carpet may be provided.

In order that this adjusted spacing of the two pairs of legs may not be shifted in the use of the board, there is provided eyes 26 on the rear spring legs 7 from which extend forwardly link means as flexible chains 27 connected to hooks 28 on the forward pair of legs 6. This chain may effect an adjustment for desired spacing between the legs 6 and 7 in determining the height of the main pivot bearing 1.

It is desirable in the use of this collapsible apparatus as a submersible diving board that it be of a structure which will not float away. To insure this, a chain 29 is provided extending from the hooks 28 to a pail 30 Tghich may be a ballast, when filled with san The apparatus may be readily set up in water by floating out to position and setting up. In operation the diver going to the free end of the upper board 4: and making a spring therefrom gets a give or spring 1 action not only from tree upper board clear to the full extent thereof to the bearing 1, but has this supplemented by the clip or buckle action of the lower board 5 as well as the spring from the long forwardly eX- tending leg 6. These forwardly extending legs 6 are of such extent that the device does not topple or become overbalanced in most violent spring effort of the diver. The spread-of the legs is such that the apparatus will not teeter laterally. 4

' The distributed spring action asabove described from the main spring boarder gets to the extending legs 6 throughthe auxiliary support 17. Thebuckle action of the lower board 5 in supplementing the spring action of the board liS brought about by the clamped holding of the boards at, 5, togetherby U-bolts 3 which tend to maintain these boards parallel due to the after-extension which in a{ seven foot board may runabout one foot.

The braces 8 may conveniently be spaced to form a ladder or means of ascent to the boards 4. o

l/Vhat is' claimed and it is desired-to secure by Letters Patent is:

11. A spring board, a support therefor comprising a pivot bearing connected to the board, two pairs'of inclined legs, each pair connected to and'diverging from said bearing, and a supplementary support for the board carried by one pair of legs; 7 r 2. A spring board comprls'inga pair of boards, means clamping the boards together, a support for the 'elampportion of the board, and a supplementary support for one board of the pair, said other board co- 7 acting to hold the supplementary support in boards together at one portion,;a'bearing for the clamp portionof the boards, legs extending'irom the bearing including a yieldable IHGIIlbBl,-tIlCl a strutto' the under side of the upper board, said lowerboard coacting to hold the strut in position.

5.'A spring board'comprising upper and lower boards, means clamping the'boards together, a bearing :for the means, rearwardly and forwardly extending pairs of spread legs connected to the bearing, said forward legsbeing yieldable a strut from the forward legs intermediately sustaining airoverh'anging portion of the" upper board and spacing the lower board from the upper board, said lower board coacting with the strutto maintain it-in' set-up position. 7 6; A collapsible spring board embodying a pair of clamped boards providing a yieldable clip therebetween, two pairs of spread legspivotally connected to the clamped *boards,and a strut hinged to one pair of legs movable into the clip between the boards.

s In Witness whereof we afiix our signatures. V

DORR JOHNSON.

OLIN E. PARB IELEE,. 

